INDIANAPOLIS — The routine play Louisville’s Kevin Ware was executing is what coaches call a “close-out.” He was dashing out toward the perimeter and leaping to challenge a 3-point shot attempt from Duke’s Tyler Thornton with 6:33 remaining in the first half. The injury that occurred was like few had seen before on a basketball court.

Ware landed, and his leg buckled, and soon he was flat on his back with his right leg extended in the air. It was apparent a portion of his bone was forcing against the inside of his skin.

He was attended to by medical personnel for eight minutes, with his family and coaches nearby, then taken from the floor on a stretcher.

The players who saw it, who were standing nearby, were overcome by the sight—and that was true not only of Ware’s Louisville teammates but also Thornton, who walked toward the bench hiding his eyes in his jersey.

Cardinals junior guard Russ Smith was in tears, and sophomore forward Chane Behanan was prone near the foul line with grief.

Even former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann, who suffered a devastating compound leg fracture when sacked by Lawrence Taylor in 1985, commented on Twitter.

Even at the CBS broadcast location, analyst Clark Kellogg sat for a period with his head in his hands, overcome by what he had seen.

Ware was transported to Methodist Hospital and underwent successful surgery to repair the fracture in his leg. The bone was reset, a rod was inserted in the tibia and the wound that developed when the break occurred was closed during a two-hour procedure.

Ware is a sophomore guard who was born in the Bronx and attended high school in Rockdale County, Ga. He was a star of Louisville’s Sweet 16 victory over Oregon, scoring a career-best 11 points in subbing for star point guard Peyton Siva, who was limited by foul trouble.

Ware had scored three points at the time of his injury.

As officials were preparing to resume play, the Cardinals gathered in a huddle near midcourt and attempted to refocus on basketball. Ahead 21-20, they still were playing for a spot in the NCAA Final Four.